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6 things I learnt using a treadmill desk

WH editor, Claire Sanderson, covers 10,000 steps a day for Cancer Research UK.

By
Claire Sanderson

30/05/2017

Getty Images

First, the Women's Health office had standing desks. Then came treadmill desks – it's safe to say we're a team that keeps pace with wellness in the workplace. But what is it really like to not sit down all day? And does casually cruising through your daily cardio have downfalls? As part of Cancer Research UK’s campaign to stamp out cancer, WH Editor Claire Sanderson trialed a treadmill desk for a week. Read on for her review.

Most days I can't finish my commute without clocking the warnings that a sedentary lifestyle is damaging to long-term health. Though, given my chosen career, spending 8-hours a day glued to technology is non-negotiable. The result? Lazy glutes and a FitBit that sometimes registers the step count of a dormouse in hibernation. See why I volunteered to walk at a slow pace and burn some calories in the office? Thought so.

Here's what happens when I worked and worked out at the same time, for five days straight.

1. I burned an extra 500 calories a day

Once I got over the motion sickness of talking, typing and directing from the tread I became smug with satisfaction. For the first time in I-don't-know-how-long I looked at my Fitbit at 6pm and had hit the 10,000 steps per day target.

With this you also get the joy of knowing you’ve burned an extra 500 calories on top of your morning workout.

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2. I was top of the office steps-per-day leader board

As a normal, home, gym, office, repeat kinda woman, I normally languish at the bottom of the office rankings. Even at my leisurely desk-bound pace I rocketed to the top.

3. There’s no limit to what you can do

Calls, lunch, conferences, reading proofs, writing my Ed’s letter, answering emails and rounding up friends to walk 10,000 steps every day in June to raise money for Cancer Research UK. Apart from popping out to grab lunch – Deliveroo makes it to the Hearst lobby, not WH on the third floor – I didn't allow myself an excuse to stop.

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4. Protein balls are the handiest snack

When I was atop my treadmill I had little control of where crumbs land. There’s nothing less appealing than looking down at your feet and finding you’ve trodden remnants of kale crisps into the floor. All this can be avoided with a protein ball – hurrah!

5. I’m actually more productive

Thanks to the constant gentle exercising, I was able to concentrate better and speed through my work load at a far faster rate than before. Unlike vigorous exercise, that can cause your stress levels to spike alongside your heartrate, a gentle stroll gives your brain a boost without any negative side effects – win-win!

6. 1mph is my limit

Literally any faster and I fell off my heels, or I lost my concentration and careered off the end – it wasn’t pretty.

Feeling inspired to sign up to Cancer Research UK’s Walk All Over Cancer 10,000 steps a day challenge? Thought so. Use this link cruk.org/walkallover and cover 150 miles by the end of June – about the distance from London to Manchester!

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